Health Equals ‘Lives Cut Short’ Training Programme

Not everyone in the UK gets the same opportunities to live healthy lives. People who live in our poorest neighbourhoods are dying years earlier than people in the wealthiest areas. And evidence shows that these health inequalities are getting worse. 

Health Equals’ new campaign, Lives Cut Short, wants to change that by making sure the voices of people directly affected by health inequalities are heard. 

We’re looking for people with experience of health inequalities to take part in a free online training programme, beginning in June, that will help you share your story confidently and safely with the media. 

You do not need previous media experience to apply. We’re looking for people from across the UK, and from a range of backgrounds, who care about creating change and want to speak up about the issues affecting their communities. 

You can find more detailed information about the spokesperson role here. 

What you’ll get from the programme

Participants will receive free training and support to help them become confident spokespeople on health inequalities. 

The programme includes: 

• Media and communications training from industry experts
• Support to shape and share your personal story
• Confidence-building workshops
• Opportunities to connect with others with similar experiences
• Potential opportunities to contribute to TV, radio, print, online and social media coverage linked to the campaign
• Skills you can continue using in your community, work or campaigning  

We know sharing personal experiences can feel daunting. You’ll be supported throughout the programme and can decide what you feel comfortable talking about. To participate in this programme, it’s important that you have a strong interest in being a spokesperson and a desire to participate in media opportunities around health inequalities. 

Who we’d like to hear from

We’d love to hear from people from a range of ages, backgrounds and communities across the UK. 

You may have experience of: 

• Damp, cold or mouldy housing
• Poor air quality or lack of green spaces
• Financial hardship or insecure work
• Struggling to afford heating or healthy food
• Loneliness or social isolation
• Living in an area where life expectancy is lower than average
• Losing someone too young because of health inequalities  

We’d also like to hear from people who have experienced positive change through: 

• Better housing or living conditions
• Access to community support or local groups
• Improvements to working conditions
• Better access to healthy food, green spaces or healthcare  

We’re particularly interested in hearing from older people aged 60+ who can reflect on how the conditions around them have affected their health and wellbeing over time. 

You do not need campaigning or media experience to take part. 

Programme commitment

The programme will run online between June and July 2026. 

Participants will take part in: 

• Five online workshops (2 hours each) 
• Monthly peer networking sessions with other participants  

We ask participants to attend all sessions where possible. A full timeline of the programme is below:

Accessibility and support

We want this programme to feel supportive and accessible to everyone taking part. If you have access needs, caring responsibilities, concerns about technology, or anything else you’d like to discuss before applying, please get in touch. We’ll do our best to support you. 

How to apply

• Application deadline: 1 June 2026
• Informal online interviews: Ongoing 
• Welcome session: 2 June 2026
• First training session: 9 June 2026  

You can find more information about the spokesperson role here. 

You can also preview the application form here.

If you’d like an informal chat before applying, or have any questions about the programme, please contact Dija at dijah@mediatrust.org.